It's Better This Way
by anothermevalerie
Summary: Extremely AU Klaine. Quinn doesn't want to keep her baby; she's not ready to be a mom, and probablly won't be for a long, long time. But she wants to be in her child's life and asks Kurt to take care of Beth for her. Kurt almost says no, but when he takes Beth as his own, he doesn't realise that the tiny girl is going to be the key to uniting him with his one true love.
1. Chapter 1

Kurt had never really considered himself close with Quinn. Ever. Yet, when he had answered his phone earlier that evening, he'd heard Quinn's trembling voice, begging him to come to the Ohio State Hospital. There were a lot of excuses that he could have made to get out of going, but he knew that he couldn't turn her down when she was in need. He just couldn't. Everyone should have someone to lean on when there was no one for them.

So regardless of the fact that he had no idea why he was going, Kurt found himself driving to the hospital at six o'clock on a Saturday evening. The ride down was nerve wracking to say the least. Kurt was scrounging his brain, trying to come up with a reason for Quinn's invitation. She wasn't due for another month, so that couldn't be it, and Puck always went with her to see her physician about the condition of her unborn baby. There really wasn't any reason that she would have wanted Kurt. He didn't get it, but he kept driving, determined to get there as fast as he could if it would help Quinn out.

Kurt didn't remember what he was expecting, but it had to have been anything but what actually happened.

Once he had gotten to the hospital, he had realised that things were in far more disarray than he had initially thought. All he did was go to the secretary, asking for Quinn Fabray, and in two minutes flat, he'd been whisked to a section of the hospital called "The Birthing Place" under the name of Mr. Fabray, Quinn's supposed 'husband'. Chaos had ensued, and a few hours later, Kurt had ended up where he was now: standing in the maternity ward holding Quinn's baby.

Quite honestly, Kurt felt exceedingly uncomfortable. Puck should have been there, holding Quinn's hand as she went into labour, calming her down as the pain ceased, being the first to hold their child. But it was Kurt who did all that. Kurt: the gay sophomore who didn't even really know the mother of the child in his arms.

It was almost as ridiculous as the time he made out with Britt while pretending to be straight just so that his dad would talk to him more. Only almost.

_Glee club can really do miracles._ He thought drily.

This wasn't how he'd planned to spend his Saturday night, and he had no idea how he would explain this to his dad. Yeah, it would be fun. _Oh, I was playing daddy for my fellow glee club member who is one of the popular cheerleader bitches at McKinley, and she's passed out from all the pain and medication right now, but I'll be home as soon as she's better. Send Carole my love._

Awkwardly pulling his phone out, Kurt held Quinn's (still unnamed) baby with one hand while leaving an extremely short message for his dad. After all, if he couldn't explain, he could at least paraphrase excessively. Technically he wasn't lying when he told his dad that his friend had some issues and wanted to talk. Quinn just happened to be too hyped up on meds to talk at the moment, and he had to wait.

This was a mess.

It wasn't that Kurt's weekend had gotten worse because of this; it was just extremely, extremely weird. He sighed, uncomfortably cradling the girl while fidgeting. He still didn't know why he was here, and Quinn wasn't conscious yet, so he wasn't quite sure what to do.

Right then, the baby woke up from her slumber and started wailing loudly, causing Kurt to almost drop her in shock. As it was, he didn't know what to do with her. Kurt was an only child, and didn't ever need to deal with crying kids. He had never babysat in his life. He also made a point to keep away from crying, screaming, pooping, peeing little children who had the horrifying potential to ruin his designer shirts. But Kurt knew he had to make an effort. It was his (somewhat) friend's child, after all.

He hesitantly tried to shush the tiny girl, but to no avail; she seemed intent on completely and utterly destroying the pitch perfect hearing that he had worked so hard to acquire. He rocked her back and forth, made funny faces, and even tried softly singing to her. Unfortunately, Kurt did not seem to be talented in the field of calming children.

Kurt didn't know what to do with the very obviously upset baby (he hated calling her that, but she still wasn't named). He also wasn't quite sure who to ask for help. He knew Quinn and Puck had taken parenting classes, but he also understood that things would be more than sufficiently awkward if he called Puck for advice. Finn had also taken daddy classes, but asking him would be equivalent to going straight to hell as he was still mad at Quinn for lying to him. His only other friend, Mercedes couldn't even stand her own cousins, which left the ever annoying and perpetually frustrating Rachel Berry.

The first time Kurt met Rachel, he had wanted to smack her in the face. In fact, that's exactly what happened. But when Rachel's big brown eyes had widened and filled up with tears, he kind of felt like a jerk for doing that to her. Add to that the fact that she told him that it was pretty normal for people to slap her when they met her, and Kurt officially felt like crap. So he put aside his dislike, and managed to tolerate her. Now, four years later, he was extremely glad to have done so because somewhere along the way, he had figured out how to look past her self-centred attitude to see the well meant gestures that she was unable to express.

And so they learned to be friends. Disagreements were numerous and fights were very often explosive, but they were always there for each other; supportive to the very end. Now, Kurt needed his second best friend more than ever, because if there was one girl that the Lima moms called to babysit their children, it most definitely was Miss Rachel Berry. At the moment, Kurt needed all the expertise that he could possibly get.

**a/n**

**Will you look at that. I started a new story. (Don't kill me). Okay, this one came to me while I was watching the vid for Hair/Crazy in Love and the whole pregnant!Quinn/skinny!Kurt grinding thing happened so. This is not Quirt. This is very Klaine. Parts will be short, and infrequent as I'm giving priority to my other story, When You're Gone, as well as my other fanfic account, but I will finish this if it's the last thing I do. Hope you enjoy it! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

When Rachel finally got to the hospital, Kurt was just about to have a panic attack.

"Oh my god, thank goodness you're here, Rachel, just get over here and take this child because I can't deal with her and exactly how do you get her to shut up I've been trying for the last half an hour but nothing works!"

Rachel was on it in a flash, taking the baby into her arms and quietly cooing at it. Within seconds, the wailing stopped, and the girl was happily sucking her thumb and giggling.

"How the hell did you do that?" Kurt asked indignantly.

"Shhh," Rachel snapped. "No cursing around children."

"But she can't even understand what I'm-" Kurt cut himself off when he saw Rachel's glare. Honestly, it was useless to argue with her when she gave him that look. "Well?" He asked impatiently. "How did you do it?"

"She wants her mom." Rachel said softly, rocking the girl back and forth. "You did well considering you've never actually taken care of kids before, but all she wanted is to be fussed over, you know?"

Kurt sighed in relief. At least it wasn't some fault on his part. "Yeah, I get it."

"So," Rachel began, starting to do some sort of half waltz with the baby. "Why exactly are you here?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, a little confused. He was tired. Having a baby scream in your ear for thirty minutes straight wasn't exactly the most pleasant way to spend time.

"I mean, why are you here? At the Ohio State Hospital? Holding Quinn's baby?"

"Ummm..." Kurt began before Rachel began talking rapidly, jumping to insane conclusions as he knew she would.

"Oh my goodness, Kurt. You weren't the one who knocked her up, were you? Because you did that whole thing with Brittany, yeah I get that, but I swear, if you got Quinn pregnant.."

"No, I didn't get her preg..." Kurt tried to say, but Rachel kept talking over him.

"...Because that would mean you had sex with her and I mean, I don't care, you can have sex with whoever you want, it's not my business, but Finn."

"...But Rachel, I..."

"Your dad is dating Finn's mom, and Finn will be pissed because you also slept with his girlfriend..."

"...Rachel."

"And he still hasn't even lost his virginity..."

"...Rachel!"

"No, don't ask me how I know that, it wasn't illegal, I promise... but Glee is just going to fall to pieces and-"

"RACHEL!" Kurt bellowed, finally. "I DID NOT SLEEP WITH QUINN!"

Suddenly the two of them noticed just how quiet it was in the hall. Several families were staring at them, and quite a few nurses were frowning with disapproval.

"Oh, dear." Rachel said ruefully as one particularly disgruntled nurse came over. "Hi, may we help you?" She asked the nurse politely.

Too bad it was all for naught.

"What exactly do you mean you didn't sleep with Quinn?" The rather old nurse asked Kurt, jabbing her finger into his chest.

"Um, what?" Kurt asked, somewhat distracted by the very obviously un-manicured hand that was poking his chest.

"You checked in as Quinn Fabray's husband." She said. "Mr. Fabray, am I correct?"

Oh. Right. Kurt was Quinn's husband tonight.

"Yeah, yeah I'm Mr. Fabray." Kurt quickly said, ignoring Rachel's gasp. "I was just telling my best friend here that we didn't sleep in the same bed the last few weeks. Quinn was getting a little... restless with the baby kicking and all."

For a moment, Kurt thought the nurse (Ms. Figgins according to her name tag) wouldn't buy it. Thankfully, her eyes softened. "Oh, sweetie." She began. Kurt almost barfed at the saccharine quality to her tone. "Things will get better. The baby is beautiful. Just take your time resting, and call me if you need any help, okay?"

Kurt rolled his eyes but nodded. The minute she walked away, he swerved towards Rachel, whose mouth was still open. "What an ugly name, huh?"

"Never mind the name, what did she mean "Mr. Fabray? You married _Quinn_? Is that why you haven't been coming over for sleepovers with me and Mercedes? Do you _know_ how many teen marriages actually work out?"

"What? No! That was just an excuse. You were so subtle with your jaw hanging open, by the way."

"Yeah, probably because my best friend kept the fact that he was married from me."

"Rachel." Kurt said firmly, determined to stop the madness before it escalated too far. "Listen to me." He made sure to keep his voice down in order to ensure that a repeat with Ms. Figgins didn't happen. "I am not married to Quinn. I am sixteen. I am perfectly gay. I don't even actually like Quinn. We are not married. Do you understand?"

"But... then... what...?" Rachel floundered in confusion, gesturing towards the nurse who was further down in the hall.

"It's the only way I can stay here and wait for Quinn to sleep off the drugs."

"But why do you have to... I mean... Oh, never mind."

Kurt smiled. This was the first time he had ever seen Rachel give up. Normally, she whined and prodded until everyone gave in. At the moment, Kurt was ridiculously grateful that she had decided to drop it. He was far too tired to deal with explaining the situation. "Hey, I'm just going to sit down and take a nap. You'll be here with the baby, right?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, she's an angel, Kurt. I don't know what you were talking about. I wish half the kids I babysit were this well-behaved."

"She must hate me then because she would not stop when I was holding her."

"I doubt it. She probably loves you extra since you were the first to hold her. Anyway, you take that nap. I'll wake you up if anything happens with Quinn."

"Thanks Rach."

"Sweet dreams, Kurtsie." Rachel sang softly.

Kurt smiled at the old nickname before drifting off to get some well-deserved rest.

**a/n**

**So. Look at that. Updated already! I don't know how long I'll be able to update like this. The beginning is fairly easy to write, and I've been purposely writing smaller chapters than my other story so that I can finish this faster. Anyhow, this one's done, and the next one's coming, and have no fear: Blaine is near! Yes. This is a Klaine story. Not Quinn/Kurt. Don't worry. Hope you enjoyed! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, Kurt woke to the sound of raised voices. He rubbed his eyes blearily. It looked like he had to get his wits about him if he wanted to win whatever argument he'd be getting in. Looking around for Rachel, Kurt finally found her outside the door to Quinn's room, fists clenched and eyes blazing.

Kurt walked over to them "What's going on?" He asked, curiously. "Is Quinn okay? Where's the baby?"

"She's with her Quinn, who woke up almost an hour ago, but the doctor won't let us visit." Rachel replied, glaring at the doctor in question.

"I'm sorry, miss, but only family members are allowed to visit Ms. Fabray."

"Doctor, what exactly do you think I've been trying to tell you?" Rachel exclaimed in frustration. "I'm Quinn's sister-in-law, and this is her husband; Kurt Fabray."

The doctor narrowed her tiny piggy eyes on Kurt. "You're Ms. Fabray's husband?" She asked dubiously.

"That would be me." Kurt tried to stand up straighter, and look older than the sixteen year old he was.

And then the nurse said the two words that pretty much lost all hope Kurt had for the situation.

"Prove it."

Suddenly, the bell for Quinn's room rang, signalling that she needed assistance. The doctor quickly walked inside.

"What are we going to do?" Kurt hissed to Rachel, who was trying to eavesdrop.

"Shhh, I can't hear."

Kurt shook his head and grabbed Rachel by the arm, pulling her to the other side of the hall. "How are we going to get in?"

"Simple." Rachel said as if it was obvious. "We try to reason with the doctor."

"Yes, Rachel. Because that was working so very well a few minutes ago. What's your plan B and why do I feel as if I won't like it."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "It's not as if you ever like my backup plans, you know."

"I know, but this time it's something that's not purely selfish so I'm far more worried about the means you will go to in order to achieve your goal."

"Kurt, my dear," Rachel said, smiling innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Seriously, Rachel, we're not going to-"

"Excuse me?" The two of them looked up to see the doctor smiling somewhat apologetically at them.

"Yes?" Rachel asked for the both of them.

"Um, Ms... sorry, Mrs. Fabray would like to see the two of you."

"Wonderful." Rachel clapped her hands and stood up, pulling Kurt to his feet behind her. "We'll just go right in, then."

"Wait."

Kurt froze. What was going to go wrong, now?

"Mr. Fabray?"

It took Kurt a second to realise that the doctor was talking to him. "Oh, um, yes?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for doubting you when you said you were her husband. I should have known that you weren't that kind of person."

Kurt nodded and quickly walked into Quinn's room, closing the door tightly before bursting into a fit of laughter. Looking around the small, ridiculously sanitary room, he saw Rachel slumped over in a plastic attempting to overcome a horrible bout of giggles, and Quinn with the baby in her arms, staring disdainfully at their hysterical behaviour.

"Hey, Quinn," Kurt managed to choke out. "What's going on?"

No answer came. Kurt couldn't blame her.

Rachel was the first one to get over the madness of the situation. She walked over and sat down on the chair next to Quinn. "So?"

"So since when are you my sister-in-law, and Kurt, my husband?"

It was a poor attempt at hiding her exhaustion, but Kurt and Rachel laughed anyway. "Since I drove down here three hours ago and found out you were in labour." Kurt replied.

"We just wanted to see how you were doing, and this seemed to be the only way to do it." Rachel said. "How are you feeling, Quinn?"

"Well, my stomach hurts like a bitch, and I feel like hell burned me alive, but this beautiful ball of sunshine is totally worth it."

"Have you named her yet?" Rachel asked softly.

"Beth."

The tenderness in her voice was touching. Kurt knew that Quinn didn't really love many people; she either tolerated them or downright hated them, but this baby would be good for her. Beth would show her how to live again.

"Is Shelby okay with that for a name?" Rachel asked.

The question was asked innocently enough, but all of a sudden, Quinn's eyes hardened. "I can't." She said harshly. "I just... I can't."

And all of a sudden, they knew they were about to find out why Quinn had asked Kurt to come over.

"Quinn," Kurt asked gently. "What's going on?"

"I can't." She repeated. "I can't."

Kurt had never heard her sound so broken. Gone was the bitchy cheerleader that had first joined Glee club. This girl was just scared and tired and wrecked.

Luckily, Rachel figured it out. "You can't give her up, can you?"

Quinn started crying, and Rachel leaned over to hug her awkwardly. "She's my daughter. I love her so much, but I'm not ready to be a mom." She sobbed. "I want her so much. I want to be there for her, I want to be in her life, you get that, don't you, Rachel?"

Kurt shouldn't have been amused, but the look on Rachel's face was priceless.

"Um Quinn," She said hesitantly for fear of upsetting the girl even more. "I'm not exactly... pregnant. Nor have I ever been."

"No, no, no!" Quinn wailed, clutching at Rachel. "You wanted your biological mom in your life at some point, didn't you? You wanted her to hug you and kiss you and love you. I want to do that for Beth." She started calming down, finally freeing Rachel from her death hold. "I want you to adopt her." She said, looking dead straight at Kurt. "I want you to be her father."

Kurt was stunned. "You're joking, right?"

Quinn didn't say anything.

"Oh my god, you aren't joking. You want me to be a dad."

**a/n**

**I'm sorry. I just love this story so much. I know parts are short, but that's pretty much the only way I can upload so quickly. Anyhow, what do you guys think of the budding Kurt/Rachel/Quinn friendship? And don't worry, Blaine's coming soon... I just need my Kurtsie development first. Review please... I love hearing from you! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Half an hour later and Kurt was still pacing the small room disbelievingly.

"Look, it's not that hard, Kurt," Quinn said, her voice raw from crying so much. "You just need to actually take care of her. I'll pay the bills and everything, I promise, I just need to be near her. I need someone to be Beth's dad, and Puck isn't suitable. Don't even think about Finn- I mean, he's ridiculously stupid, and I honestly don't trust anyone but you."

Kurt snorted derisively. "Trust? _Trust?_ Quinn we don't ever talk, and the only form of acquaintance we've really had is you laughing at me and usually making fun of my sexuality. You hate pretty much everyone who I love, and only joined Glee Club because you wanted to keep an eye on your boy- sorry, _ex_-boyfriend. " Kurt made sure to stress the 'ex'. "You cheated on him, you just called him stupid, and might I remind you, he's my _brother._ What on earth do you know about trust?" Kurt was practically yelling at this point. "I don't get it, it's not as though you can just waltz in here after years of bullying and just expect me to take in your child. Beth is _your_ responsibility. Not mine." He sat down, exhausted. "Not my responsibility." He whispered before breaking down into dry sobs.

"Kurt, I-"

"No." Kurt pulled himself together. "I can't, Quinn. I'm sorry. I just can't do this for you."

"But-"

"I can't." And with those final firm, but apologetic words, Kurt opened the door and walked out of Quinn's room, traitorous tears already beginning to fall from his eyes. He could hear the beginning of a meltdown on Quinn's part, but didn't break his stride. He didn't care if Rachel stayed to comfort her or followed him. He just needed space.

Kurt wasn't normally so... shaken. Let's face it; Kurt was probably the most composed kid in all of Lima, Ohio. But when Quinn just blatantly asked him to take her child... _that_ was when he snapped. He had lived through years of bullying; years of being shunted aside to be left alone. Even after he had met Rachel in seventh grade, things hadn't changed too much, but he had someone to share the pain with. Later, once the jocks and such had figured out that he was gay, things had just gotten worse for him.

Rachel had tried. Kurt knew that, and he appreciated it. Every single time she took a slushy for him, or ended up in the dumpster with him, he was incredibly grateful. Whenever he wasn't picked in gym because neither team wanted him, Rachel was right next to him, saying that either they had to be fair, or she would get her dads to intervene. Everything was better because she was there to stand up for him. So things were okay.

But Quinn had blatantly insulted him. Not his sexuality, but just _him_; His hair, his personality, even the colour of his notebooks. Did she actually know him? Nope. Not once had she even held a proper conversation with him, and yet, she had felt the need to spit out harsh and unnecessary comments every time they so much as made eye contact in the McKinley halls.

And now, when she needed him, she just expected everything to go her way; she thought that he'd take her child in without a word or thought of all that had been said and done in the past. Yes, the past was the past, but when it was a decision like this, Kurt would have liked to know that Quinn would at the very least be civil and thankful for what he was doing.

Not that Kurt was going to take in the baby. There was no possible way that he had time to care for it- Beth. Kurt reminded himself that she was no longer 'the baby' or 'it' or just 'she'. Her name was Beth.

Somehow, Kurt's heart warmed slightly at that. He did love the baby; who wouldn't after being the first one to hold her. Minus the overdramatic crying, Kurt had fallen in love with her at first sight. And if it hadn't been for the situation, he would have taken her in.

Kurt snorted. Actually that wasn't true; if he was 24 with a successful career and plenty of time in his life, he would have taken her. As it was, he was in high school, working towards Broadway with his best friend. There was no possible way for him to look after Beth.

And then there was the situation with his dad. The scare that he and Carole had had when Beth was supposedly Finn's baby was bad enough. Hearing things about the low financial stability was scary back then when they didn't have a choice about keeping her or not. Now, willingly taking Beth in? Not a chance. The Hummel-Hudson family still had to pay for two kids' college tuitions. Finn might go to the state university or community college, and Kurt might get a scholarship, but hefty bills would still be sucking away at their bank accounts. From that point, as well, Beth becoming a Hummel was impossible.

Kurt looked around in shock. Somehow during his slew of mental thought process, he had ended up in the hospital's day care centre for children. He frowned. The thought of having to spend time in the sickly sanitary smelling hospital every single day seemed downright horrible, but he entered anyway.

The atmosphere inside was surprisingly friendly. Kids ran around and played, and the whole environment just seemed very pleasant. Kurt smiled as he saw one of the volunteers playing Twister with a kid. There was so much love in such a small amount of space, it made his heart ache.

"Kurt?"

He frowned, slowly turning. He didn't really know anyone in the hospital, so unless it was—"Rachel?"

She nodded carefully back, a sad smile on her face. "Hi."

"Hey. Um, what's up?"

She sighed before holding out her arm. "Can we talk?"

Kurt looked at her for a second before linking arms with her, and leading her out the door. "Yeah, sure." He said, finding a couch to sit on. "What is it?"

Rachel fidgeted with her hands for a few minutes. Kurt was starting to worry before she suddenly blurted out- "I think you should be Beth's father!"

A frown settled upon Kurt's features. He'd been sure that Rachel of all people would have supported him. Her dreams were just about as ambitious as his. "Wait, what?"

**a/n**

**Wheeeeew. It's been a while. Sorry guys! I was tearing my hair out over this chapter because emotions and argh and I don't know and also argh and I've been busy and most of all: ARGH. But here it is. I'll do my best to start uploading more, but I'm going to Switzerland next Thursday (EEEEEEP) for 5 days, so I don't know... I'll have wifi, but not my laptop: just my iPod, and I'd rather die than write there because my brother is the nosiest person on Earth so. Um, yeah... that's it so far... I have no plan for this story, just wanted to let you know. And also (a bit of shameless promotion) come find me on Tumblr! I'm blainiewarbler! And I want to talk to you guys :) So that's it for this note. Sorry it was long, and please review if you can! It means the world to me, even negative reviews! But not stuff like 'this story is shit' cause those reviewers are in for some baaaad karma. Okay, bye! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Rachel, you have got to be joking. What about New York? What about NYADA? Did you think through this at all?"

"Um, no?"

Kurt made as if to get up, but Rachel pulled him back down by the arm.

"Just listen to me." Rachel pleaded, but Kurt just rolled his eyes and cut her off.

"No, you listen to me, Rachel. I'm not going to give up on our dream of getting to Broadway just because the most popular girl in school asked me to take care of her child and you think you'll have a chance with Finn, if I do."

A moment of silence followed, during which Kurt already began to regret his harsh words.

"Ouch." She said quietly, a hurt look on her face.

"Look, Rachel, I didn't mean-"

"Do you really think I'd do that to you?" She whispered, making Kurt feel even worse.

"No, I really-"

"Kurt, I know I'm sort of a selfish bitch most of the time, but you're my best friend. I wouldn't force all that responsibility on you just so that I could get with your brother"

Kurt sighed, taking her hand in his, and squeezing it. "I know you wouldn't, it's just that I jumped to conclusions too fast."

"I don't blame you." Rachel softly laughed. "I quite distinctly remember doing the same a few times."

"If I recall correctly, it was a lot more than 'a few'."

Rachel put her head on Kurt's shoulder. "I still think you should take Bethany, though."

"I'm trying to understand why, but unless I apply the fact that you're crazy, I'm drawing a blank. I don't get it, I really don't."

"Lower tax rates?"

"Higher insurance costs." Kurt countered.

"Boost on college resume?"

"Boost? More like certification of my mental insanity."

"More joy in the house?"

"Rachel?"

"What?"

"You don't have a valid reason for this, do you?"

"Not quite."

"So why do you want to do this? We've had everything planned since eighth grade. What changed?"

"Beth?"

Kurt snorted in frustration. "Rachel-"

"No, Kurt, I need you to hear me out. You know how Shelby was my surrogate mom?"

Kurt nodded, noting the use of 'was' but remaining silent.

"She never visited me once during y childhood. I mean, I love my dads. They're the sweetest people on earth, and the best parents that I could ever ask for, but I would have liked to know my mom, as well. Shelby, however, was always just too busy. Sure, we exchanged letters for years, but she was always too busy coaching some up and coming Broadway star to ever see me. "

Kurt nodded again, not sure where this was going.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm sure she could be a great parent but she's always going to be too work-oriented. I don't want Beth to end up like me; somewhat narcissistic and generally disliked by her peers."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to have my parents adopt a child because my best friend wants to do something good. Why can't your dads adopt her?"

Rachel shot him a look, but he didn't get it. "What?"

She shook her head. "Dads, Kurt. _Dads._ Do you know how long it takes for two people of the same gender to adopt a child? I took a year and a half! What's going to happen to Beth during that time?"

"Fine, but I just... can't. Plus, Carole and Dad are so not going to adopt a baby, and Finn would probably kill me."

"But she's cute?"

Kurt looked at her and then at the picture of Beth that was displayed on her phone screen. "I cannot believe I'm doing this." He said, getting up, intending to call his dad.

Rachel squealed. "I'll help with the costs, too. I promise."

Turning, Kurt frowned. "You'd do that?"

"Yeah, I'm the one who pushed you into this. Of course I'm going to help take care of her. Now, Beth will have four parents: You, me, Quinn, and Puck. But she'll mostly be yours.

Kurt froze. "Oh, shit." He breathed in horror.

Rachel, being Rachel, immediately panicked. "What? What's wrong? Did you choke on something? I can do the Heimlich manoeuvre on someone without hurting them!

"No, no, no—wait, Rachel, you realise we're in a hospital? You could just get a nurse."

"Oh. Yeah. Anyhow, what's wrong?"

Without saying a word, Kurt pointed towards a far elevator, where someone very familiar was waiting for the doors to open.

"Oh." Rachel whispered. "I forgot."

"It's Puck." Kurt finished.

Ten minutes later, some very harsh debating was going on.

"No, I can't ask my parents before I ask Puck... he'd kill me. He loves Beth even more than you love Broadway."

"Not possible," Rachel retorted before turning her attention back to the matter at hand. "Anyway, if you ask Puck first, he'll just beat you up first. Besides, Quinn did ask you to take her. She's the parent with all the say in the situation."

"This isn't going to work. First my parents will yell at me, and then it'll be a death certificate with Puck being written for the nature of dying."

"Kurt, calm down." Rachel snapped. "You aren't making sense anymore."

"You haven't made sense since you were born."

Rachel threw him another look, and he fell silent. "So what do we do then?" He asked.

"Talk to Quinn, maybe?"

"I would, but Puck's in there with her."

"We could go in there together?"

"Then we'd both end up dead."

"He can't be that bad."

"Rachel, you've never been thrown into the dumpster by him. You can't talk."

"Fine, but we still need to get to Quinn."

"We could-"

"Kurt, I am not wearing a nurse's costume and walking in there."

"It works in the movies."

Rachel buried her face in her hands. "What do we do, what do we do? Hey, actually, Kurt, you're married to Quinn, right?"

Beside her, Kurt was slumped over. "Only in the rawest sense of the word."

"So go tell a nurse that Puck is harassing your wife... or... something... Kurt...?"

"Yeah?" He replied, eyes still closed. "What is it?"

"Um..."

Kurt opened his eyes and let out a squeak of horror. "Puck!"

"Hummel." He snarled, pulling Kurt up by his collar. "What's this about marrying Quinn?"

**a/n**

**Yay! Update! I did most of this at midnight this morning/last night/whatever so sorry about any mistakes. Also, I know this is moving super slow... just give me another couple chapters and then things start going. I know Kurt's decision seems ridiculous, and I agree, but I mean... this isn't super realistic whatsoever. Kurt wouldn't really do this, Rachel wouldn't support him, blah, blah, blah. Sorry to those of you who like realistic things... ALSO. I don't actually know what the deal was with Rachel/Shelby. I haven't actually watched the whole of seasons 1 or 2, I just vaguely know what happens, so I twisted things to work for me.**

**AND ALSO: I'll be away the weekend, so update will be on Monday most likely. So yeah. And o****h my goodness, you guys rock! Thanks so much for reading! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

If it wasn't for Quinn, Kurt was pretty sure that he would have been dead at that moment. He, Puck, and Rachel were all sitting around Quinn's bed, an awkward silence filling the room.

Just half an hour earlier, Puck had been about to punch Kurt, but luckily, a nurse had come over and told them that Quinn was asking to see them. Kurt had thanked the stars.

But now, the anxiety in the room had gotten horribly uncomfortable. From what Kurt understood, all Pick knew was that Kurt had been the first person to hold Beth and that Kurt was only pretending to be Quinn's husband; nothing about adopting Bethany.

He didn't know what to do to dispel the tension, and looking across the room at Rachel, he could tell that she didn't know either.

Right then, Beth began to wail, the harsh sound causing Quinn to wince. She looked exhausted. Kurt only knew the basics of childbirth, but he was pretty sure that a new mother wasn't supposed to have this much stress placed on her right after she conceived.

Rachel threw a pointed look towards Puck, but he didn't seem to understand. "What?" He snapped. "Either say something or don't."

"Aren't you going to take Beth?" She asked.

Puck looked baffled. "Why would I do that?"

Rachel gave him another one of her 'looks'. "Because you're her father?"

"Well, apparently Hummel over there has taken that role without telling me."

"Puck..." This time it was Quinn, speaking softly from her bed.

"No, I want to know what's going on. A couple weeks ago we tried babysitting because you wanted to keep Beth, and that's fine. I wanted Beth, too. Then, the next day, you slapped me in the face, called me an incompetent father, and told me that Beth was going to be put up for adoption, and now Kurt _Hummel_ is here, and you're saying that we're all pretending that he's your husband, and also, Shelby called, wanting to know why we changed our minds about the adoption. I want to know everything, Quinn."

Rachel stood up. "Well, I guess that's our cue." She said, nodding towards Kurt. "We'll give you guys some time."

"Wait, you have to stay."

"Are you sure, Quinn?" Kurt asked hesitantly. He wasn't really certain if he wanted to be there when Puck found out who was going to take care of Bethany.

"You guys are as much part of this, now, as Puck and I are." She said, a small smile lighting up her features. "Welcome to the family... and I'm sorry... for everything."

And those last four words were all that was needed for Kurt to sit back down on the uncomfortable plastic chair. Whatever happened now, he was sure that things would work out for the best.

So it all fell into place. Kurt began the process of adopting Bethany that night; something that was long, and drawn out, and messy, but when he finally got to sign the papers a few days later, Kurt couldn't help but feel an intense rush of affection for the little sweetheart who was now his daughter. He couldn't take Beth home for a few more days as per hospital policy, but Kurt didn't mind; he needed to get his house ready for a baby.

Somehow, his dad and Carole had supported him wholeheartedly through the whole thing. Apparently they had been trying for a child for a while (a detail Kurt hadn't wanted to know) and had given up because it hadn't worked. In a way, Bethany had been a blessing in disguise.

Kurt had been shocked at how smoothly everything had gone. The only problem that remained was telling everyone. So far, the only people that knew about Bethany Alice Fabray's impending change to Bethany Alice Fabray-Hummel were Quinn, Puck, Rachel, and his parents. Quinn's parents didn't know, most of the people in the glee club didn't know, and most importantly, Finn didn't know.

Kurt had wanted to tell him earlier, but Burt and Carole had forbidden him from doing so.

"This is your responsibility," His father had said. "You can't let anyone else affect your decision."

"If it was Rachel, Finn's opinion wouldn't matter; don't let his opinion change this, either." Carole added. "It's your life that this is affecting. Just remember that we're all here to help."

So Kurt felt horribly guilty about keeping the adoption a secret, but there wasn't much to do but fear the reaction when his dopey half-brother realised that he would soon be uncle his ex-girlfriend's baby.

The other issue was Puck. Ever since Quinn had told him who was going to adopt Beth, he'd been unnaturally calm towards Kurt and Rachel. Whereas before, Kurt was slushied a few times a day, Puck had left off doing it completely. And while Rachel tried to hope that it meant Puck was accepting the situation, Kurt couldn't help but think that something was going to happen at some point, and things would not be pretty.

He didn't have time to worry about it right then, however. With a surprise baby coming into the house, an unsuspecting half-brother, and a messy school situation, Kurt already had his hands far too full to worry about a potentially jealous birth father.

**a/n**

**Argh short chapter and way late. I've been busy packing and stuff and I have to leave like now for Switzerland and I won't get back until next Wednesday. This is sort of the end of this part... things will pick up now. Klaine, drama, love, it's all going to happen now that I got this out of the way. Hope you liked this! :) Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Porcelain said what?"

"Kurt, are you out of your mind?"

"Have you even thought about this?"

"What did your parents say?"

"This is such complete bullcrap."

"How do unicorns have babies?"

Out of all the responses that Kurt had gotten to his announcement, the one that didn't come worried him the most of them all. It had been bad enough that Coach Sylvester had decided to come in just as he was going to tell the glee club the news (he couldn't exactly tell her to go away, she was a staff member, after all), but after all the exclamations and questions about his sanity, even after freaking hell had practically broken loose in the choir room, Finn still hadn't said anything, and that was the scariest part.

Kurt had expected his half-brother to yell or break something, or even throw one of his infamous temper tantrums, but he didn't do any of those.

Finn just sat there, jaw half open and large brown eyes dopily confused as if he still couldn't believe what he heard. Kurt wanted to smack that look off his face. Anger he could deal with, but the complete betrayal evident in Finn's features was something that pretty much broke his heart.

"You did what?" Finn asked slowly, bewilderment still seeping through his voice.

Brittany spoke up. "He's buying Quinn's baby."

Kurt could vaguely hear Santana in the background, explaining things to the blonde, but all he could see was the shock on Finn's face. "Finn, I..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Her name is Beth."

Silence fell.

The news of the head Cheerio's pregnancy had spread through the McKinley halls until even the janitors knew all about it. The tried and true social mill had warped the truth around so much that no one but Kurt, Rachel, Puck, and Quinn knew what was really going on. The latter two had been at the hospital the past couple days until Quinn could leave. No one knew that Rachel had the whole scoop, and Kurt had become extremely adept at dodging his friends' queries, sometimes outright refusing to talk with an 'It's none of your business, Santana, I can't say anything." And so it happened that no one knew anything about the Fabray-Puckerman situation.

"Puck named her?"

Kurt nodded in response to Tina's question, watching as the Finn deflated even more. Although he didn't have that puppy dog crush from sophomore year anymore (the reasoning behind that phase of his life would forever be a mystery), Kurt could still read Finn enough to know that any hope that the quarterback had of getting Quinn back had been completely dashed.

"Does Burt know about this?" Finn asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"My mom?"

Kurt looked down at his feet. "Yes."

"Who else?"

"Quinn, Puck, and..."

"...and?"

At this point everyone leaned forward, wanting to know who else Quinn had trusted enough to talk to about Beth. It was kind of sad, actually. Quinn was the most popular girl in McKinley, but she was also the loneliest. While she was friends with Santana and Brittany, it was clear that it would only take one argument, and Quinn would be alone. Santana would backstab anyone to get what she wanted, and Brittany always sided with Santana no matter who was right. Quinn's closest friends were held together with nothing but a cheer uniform and pompoms. The fact that she willingly told someone about her personal life was shocking to the glee club.

"Kurt? Who else?"

Kurt looked at Rachel, who was frantically gesturing at him to be quiet, but shook his head at her. He couldn't keep anything else from his brother. "...Rachel."

All eyes turned on the small brunette, causing her to shrink into her chair. Kurt sort of felt bad, but he had other things to worry about, primarily Finn, and secondarily Mercedes, who was giving him her famous stink eye.

"So you pretty much told everyone but me?"

"I-"

"No, forget it." Finn said, getting up from his chair in the back of the room and quietly trudging towards the door. "I'm just going to go take a walk, Mr. Schue. I need some air."

"Sure, go blow off some steam." Mr. Schuester said, obviously attempting to help diffuse the situation.

The tension in the room dissipated as everyone started talking among each other, incredulous tones filling the air. Kurt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was tired. Beth was coming home that night, and as excited as he was, he knew that Finn would not have anything good to say about it. On top of the finalizing the adoption, he also had had to put an entire nursery together in about three days. Rachel had been a godsend for that, making a list of everything that was needed as well as the stores which had the best sales. Kurt pretty much blew the money that he'd been saving for that _gorgeous_ Liz Taylor brooch. He groaned in frustration. _So much to do so little time._

"Hey," Kurt looked up. It was Rachel.

"Hi?" He replied, a little confused.

"You have to pick Beth up after school."

"Yeah..." He said. _Where exactly was she going with this?_

"You also have to go to that child support services meeting or whatever after school."

"Yeah..." He replied, a tad bit distractedly before hearing what she said. "Wait, what?"

"Isn't that what your dad said? That's the only time they had free, right?"

Kurt looked at her, eyes wide. "Oh my god, I completely forgot."

"Relax, sweetheart. I'll go pick up Beth. Your dad's going to come pick you up for the meeting."

Kurt waved that off immediately. "You can't do that."

"And why not?" Rachel asked, eyebrows raised.

"You aren't authorized, remember? Only Quinn and I are... what did I forget now?" Kurt asked, seeing Rachel shake her head at him.

"I'll pick Quinn up too, and bring her to your house, okay? She can be discharged today."

Kurt's shoulders sagged in relief. "What would I do without you?" He half sobbed, pulling her into a hug.

"The real question is what have you been doing without _me_?" The voice came from behind, surprising them both.

"Oh, dear god I do not need this. Not now." Kurt whispered as he turned to face a very angry Mercedes Jones. "Cedes, I-"

"Nuh-uh, I get to go first, so I'm gonna give you a piece of my mind."

"But-"

"Don't you dare interrupt me, not when I'm this mad, you got that?"

Kurt nodded in resignation, praying for an intervention. "As long as I get to explain afterwards."

"Oh, anything you got to say will not redeem yourself. Firstly, why was I finding out about this with the rest of the glee club? Secondly, why did Rachel find out before me? Thirdly- don't you dare interrupt me, Mr. Hummel- Oh, Mr. Hummel."

Burt frowned at her. "You were saying?"

"Nothing, Mr. Hummel!" Mercedes answered quickly, with an unnatural meekness to her actions. Kurt wanted to laugh if not for what was soon to come. He would have to talk to Mercedes later... something he was not looking forward to.

"We got to go?" He asked his dad.

Nodding, Burt put an arm around his son. "Let's get this over with, and you," He said, talking to Rachel, who paled in terror. "'You've been a blessing to Kurt. Thank you."

Kurt smiled weakly at her as she stammered out a thank you.

In less than six hours, there would be a new addition to the Hummel-Hudson household.

**a/n**

**Gahh when did I last update this story? Like a month ago!? I'm sorry! Switzerland happened, which was so beautiful, and then I came back and felt lazy. And I have to finish an online course by two weeks from now, so I'm working like crazy on that. ****My grandmother's also here from India so I wanted to spend time with her because she's leaving day after tomorrow. ****Excuses, excuses. Hopefully Thursday will be back to being my upload day... super hopefully for both my stories. Anyhow, for WYG, I have a tentative plan (I always say that, so don't take me to heart) and for this, I have no plan whatsoever. Just expect Kurt fluff for I think maybe two or three chapters and then here comes Blaine! Hooray. Sorry to those who want the loooove now. I apologize. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a bitch to write, and see you next Thursday (or sooner! :D no promises)!**


	8. Chapter 8

"What am I going to do?" Kurt all but yelled as he strode furiously out of the tall, dingy brick building, his father hurriedly following him. "I just can't stop, can I? I mean, I'm Kurt Hummel; Skinny, faggy, idiot who isn't even strong enough to stand up to a bunch of pathetic brain dead football players. And then don't forget the cheerleaders." Kurt laughed derisively before continuing, words that had been kept in far too long were tumbling out, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"They are the bitchiest, the snobbiest, the absolute _worst_ girls anyone could _ever_ have the misfortune of meeting. That's what they are. But then as soon their leader, Quinn Fabray, Quinn-lying-cheating-stealing-Fabray, asks me to do a favour for her, I forget all that and help her and her no good sleazebag of a boyfriend, and I just help her. Just like that. Done." Kurt stopped again to take a quick breath and then kept ploughing forward, his anger and frustration causing him to stumble on his words.

"I mean look at me. I've been thrown around my entire life, and then every single fucking time someone needs help- Finn, Puck, Quinn, Santana- I just do it. I do it for them, and then what? Does anyone say thank you? Does anyone ask me if I need help? No, of course not. Because as long as I'm the only '_homo_' in the school, no one will ever do anything nice for me. I just aaargh!" Kurt exclaimed abruptly, stopping and whipping around on his heel to face his father.

Burt looked at him calmly. "Kurt I think you need a moment to yourself."

Kurt stared back, the angry flush that had crept up his neck was starting to recede. "I... yeah. Can I just-?" He gestured vaguely towards the little street that made up downtown Lima, Ohio.

Burt nodded at him, and watched with unconcealed worry in his eyes as his only son dejectedly started to make his way towards the center of town. Burt wasn't really the religious type, but he quickly made a prayer for his little boy to be alright again.

"I swear to god," He muttered under his breath as he started walking back towards his car. "If Quinn really is screwing him over, I'm going to have her pretty little blond head on a guillotine for hurting my son."

"Oh, and Dad?"

Burt spun around at Kurt's call. "Yeah?" He shouted back, curiously.

"Thanks for dropping me off, love you!"

Burt waved in reply, and then got in his car. _Things are going to be okay._ He thought as he drove home, his heart a little lighter.

Kurt was pissed. And that was an understatement. He really, really just wanted to throw something. Or break something. Or both. It was a conflict of feelings, and that scared Kurt because he wasn't normally a violent guy.

He stopped. "Crap. Damn. Fuck. Shit." Kurt said, very slowly and clearly. Then he cocked his head. He wasn't normally one for swearing either.

Suddenly, everything became too much for him and he started walking again, agitatedly running his hands through his hair. "I can't, I won't, I mean what..." He started mumbling. "This doesn't make sense... why should I? Who do I owe? But then again... What kind of friend... Are we friends... No... But maybe... no... definitely not... I can't." He stopped again, and then sank to the ground, not even noticing that his designer jeans were getting dust and grit all over them.

"I'm a mess." He said finally. "An utter, complete, mess."

Kurt accepted this fact like he accepted all facts: calmly, and logically. But then the foreign thought came to him unbidden: _I am not father material._

And just like that, Kurt began to cry. He cried for hi future, virtually gone the moment he signed the adoption papers. He cried for his father and Carole, who would have to deal with that much more stress because of him. He cried for Finn for being so naive and for Rachel for being so kind. He cried for Bethany Alice Fabray-Hummel because she had four parents who didn't know what the hell they were doing. And most of all he cried for his mom; his beautiful, wonderful, loving mother who had left him far too early in his life.

Because if anyone knew how to figure out this mess, it would be Elizabeth Hummel.

"Kurt?"

He looked up to see Mercedes sitting on the library steps, not too far away from him. Quickly drying his eyes, he walked over to her.

"Hey." Kurt said quietly, sitting down on the steps next to her.

"Hi."

They sat there in silence, taking in the quiet autumn day. Leaves were everywhere, beginning to crumble in preparation for winter.

Kurt sighed. "Mercedes, I'm-"

She cut him off. "It's fine. I was just shocked and I didn't know what to do."

"I still should have told you." Kurt murmured. He hadn't meant to hurt his best friend.

"Yeah, you should of." Mercedes said plainly. "But I get why you didn't. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."

"I'm still sorry."

"Don't be. I was being a bitch."

"A fabulous one." Kurt quipped, unable to resist.

Mercedes snorted and then started chuckling, her laugh booming out in the all-too-quiet street. Soon Kurt was doubled over, unable to stop laughing.

"That's the Kurt I know and love," Mercedes said after they calmed down. "But seriously, is everything alright with you?"

Kurt looked at her dark eyes, understanding that she was asking about the near breakdown he had a couple minutes ago. "I-I'm fine."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Are you sure? You didn't seem like it to me."

"Fine. I'm not okay, but can we talk about it later? I just can't deal with it right now. I don't want to think about it."

"Later, then. Promise me." Mercedes said, staring fiercely at him, "I'm not going to let you keep your feelings in like that. It's not healthy."

"I promise." Kurt said, knowing that she was right. "I'll tell you soon."

She nodded in satisfaction, looking down before turning her head up as if struck by a sudden thought. "By the way, don't you have to get ready for Beth to come home?"

Kurt jumped up in panic. "Oh right, I completely forgot! What am I going to do? What time is it? Why did I come here? Oh, no, what if Quinn's at my house already." He started to wring his hands in despair. "Mercedes, you have to help me!"

"You only had to ask, boo," She said, standing up. "Alright, well its four o'clock right now, and Quinn isn't back til seven, so you're good for a bit. Also, you're here for a parenting book, so let's go get that right now." Mercedes started to pull Kurt up the library steps. "Hurry up!" She barked.

"Okay, okay!" Kurt exclaimed, picking up his pace as he entered the library. "But how did you know all that about Quinn and the parenting book and whatnot?"

"Easy, Rachel told me."

This stopped Kurt in his tracks. "Rachel? Rachel Berry?"

"Duh."

"But you don't even like each other!"

"Maybe not, but we both want to support you."

Kurt was speechless. "I can't- thank you for this." He said, earnestly looking at her. "Thank you for everything."

Mercedes grinned back at him. "No problem, now let's go get that book." She said, starting off through the long aisles of books.

But Kurt had stopped again, his gaze narrowed upon the information desk at the entrance of the library. "Mercedes?" He whispered, eyes wide.

"Yeah?" She asked impatiently.

"Who on earth is that?" He asked, pointing towards the clerk who was working the checkout system.

"That? Oh, his name is Blaine."

**a/n**

**WHEW! Where has this story gone!? It's been more than half a year since I last updated this. I'm sorry guys. I don't have anything to say. School's been hectic, and extracurriculars have been crazy. But I still should have been able to get a chapter out by like November! Oh well, sorry about the wait, and I hope you enjoy this installment! I cannot WAIT for Blaine to come in. Everyone loves a friendly library guy! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. And he definitely couldn't tear his eyes away from the absolutely gorgeous library assistant in front of him. "Why have I not seen him before?" He muttered in disbelief, because _damn_, that boy was beautiful.

"You don't go to this library, Kurt." Mercedes said impatiently. "Now come on, we need to find this book."

Two minutes later, Kurt was in shock. There were nearly six shelves of parenting books; everything from 'A Parent's Guide to Raising Perfect Children' to 'My Kids are Devil Spawn: What to do When Your Kids Get to Hard to Handle'. Some of the books even sounded downright illegal, like 'Get Your Kids to be the Perfect Little Slaves'. It was overwhelming.

"Mercedes?"

"Kurt, I don't even know what just happened."

Kurt desperately started rifling through the books, searching for everything and anything that could help him.

"Excuse me, are you guys looking for anything in particular?"

Kurt looked up. It was Blaine. Blaine was talking to him, and Kurt was looking through the parenting books. Quick as a flash, Kurt scrambled farther down the shelf, trying to hide what he was really looking at. "Um, no!" He stammered, looking around a bit wildly. "I was just looking for books on-" He glanced at the shelf he was in front of. _Oh crap._ He thought, embarrassment flooding his face. He was in front of the sex education shelf. He surreptitiously elbowed Mercedes, hoping that she'd take the hint and save him from more humiliation.

It didn't really work. Mercedes pretty much fell over her own feet. Luckily, while Blaine was helping Mercedes up, Kurt was able to shuffle farther down the aisle, to a different shelf of books. Resumes. _Thank goodness._ Kurt thought with relief. This, he could deal with.

"Yeah, I was just going to apply for a job, so I was looking at some books on resume building." He said, as coolly as he could manage. "I think I'm good though."

Blaine smiled at him, and Kurt seriously thought he needed CPR at that point. Preferably from Blaine. That was one heart-stopping grin. "So where are you going to be applying?"

And just like that, Kurt's daydreaming was over. Lima, Ohio wasn't really known for opening up job offers very easily. But before he could say anything, Mercedes saved him for real.

"We've really got to go." She said politely. "Thanks for helping us, Blaine."

"Anytime, Cedes." He grinned at her easily, and she returned it. Kurt couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. He wanted a grin too.

"Come on, Kurt. We've got to go check this book out and get home to set up Beth's crib." She steered Kurt towards the checkout desk. "Stop staring." She whispered."

"I can't." Kurt complained, looking longingly towards Blaine, who was shelving books that had been returned. "He's just so darn pretty."

"Suck it up, darling. Now let's just hope we don't get a mean library worker."

The fates seemed to be conspiring against them, however, and they ended up with a grouchy old, man, who, as Kurt said, clearly was in need of a facial and some severe spa treatment.

"Sorry, boo." Mercedes put an arm around Kurt as they headed towards Kurt's house. "He was cute."

"That old guy?" Kurt asked in horror.

Mercedes gave him a look. "No." She said slowly. "Blaine."

Kurt nodded distractedly, mind still on Blaine. "I'll have to start coming to the library more often."

Mercedes snorted. "Just don't bring those parenting books with you or you'll never get in his pants."

"Wow, thanks." Kurt said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "That was so helpful. I really appreciate the advice."

"Anytime, doll. I'm always glad to help."

_...*...*...*..._

One hour later, Kurt was in full panic mode. Beth was due to arrive in one and a half hours, and nothing was ready. Her nursery room was a mess; there were unopened baby toys scattered everywhere on the floor, the room was only half painted, and the crib wasn't even set up yet.

And Kurt just _couldn't stop thinking about Blaine._

He was pretty sure that it was borderline creepy to obsess so much over someone he hadn't even met yet, but he couldn't help it. There was just something intriguing about Blaine, and it wasn't just his insanely good looks.

Kurt sighed and fixed his attention back on the crib he was supposed to be building. "Mercedes." He whined. "I don't get it."

Mercedes looked up from where she was sprawled on the floor, reading celebrity magazines. "Don't look at me," She said snarkily. "I haven't built anything since that bookshelf we made for woodshop in sixth grade."

Kurt glanced at her. "Didn't that break when you put your hair curler on it?"

Mercedes turned back to her celebrity gossip. "Yup. It was doomed from the start. The point is you really don't want me building anything for your kid. Trust me."

Kurt grimaced, before letting his head fall back. Everything was falling apart, and he wasn't even taking care of Beth yet.

Carole appeared in the doorway. "I brought you two milk and cookies." She murmured softly, setting a tray down next to Mercedes.

"Thanks, Mrs. H."

"No problem, sweetie." Carole smiled at Mercedes before looking around the room, eyes barely concealing her worry. "Kurt, is everything okay up here?"

Kurt nodded as convincingly as he could, doing his best to keep tears from spilling over. "Yeah, it's fine." He said thickly.

But Carole wasn't having it. "Burt?" She called. "Could you come help us?"

Burt walked in, took one look at the room, and the crib parts that were haphazardly placed everywhere, and sat down next to Kurt. "Pass me the screwdriver, son."

And there, sitting in that little half-painted room with his dad bossing everyone around, Kurt somehow new that it would all be okay. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but soon. And Kurt couldn't wait for that day.

**a/n**

**Hi guys! Look at me uploading like crazy! I've been really into writing these past couple days,o yay! Um, yeah. This update has been long anticipated because of Blaine! And then I didn't put much Blaine in! Yeah, I suck. But it just wasn't quite time yet. I think it's either next update, or the one after that. I already have a iffy plan for the next chapter that I'm SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.**

**Also, I don't know if ya'll follow sebklaine (she's on wattpad under that name, and I ****_think_**** that she's scarletklainer on here, but I'm not sure. I'll edit this when I find out) but she's my good friend from real life, and we started writing a story together last year, and it's been on hold for like forever, but I think we're going to try to start it back up this week! So look for 'You Were My Song' on her profile page if you want to check that out.**

**Ummmm, I think that's all. It's Spring Break over here, and I'm studying my butt off for APs. Fun. Not. But I took a break to write! Hooray! :) Hope you liked this update, guys.**


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